MHD NEWS FROM SCLAA
FOSTERING CROSS-BORDER RELATIONSHIPS T
AMANDA O’BRIEN CHAIRMAN SCLAA
he SCLAA has just completed a very successful trade mission to China. Back in November 2018 we were delighted to be the first Association to enter into a significant Memorandum of Understanding with The Australasian International Trade Association (AITA) with the implementation of the “Belt and Road Australia-China Supply Chain and Logistics Alliance”. Given the recent media coverage and poor assessment of what these alliances mean to the wider business community it has never been more important than it is now to forge closer partnerships with our number one trading partner China. The Alliance will serve its members and facilitate Australia and supply chain and logistics development and cooperation. This will include a wide range of services including conferences, exhibitions, business consultation, overseas visits, training programs and will enhance communication amongst alliance members including functional government departments, industrial associations, institutions and corporate enterprises. In China the SCLAA, with AITA, also signed additional significant Memoranda of Understanding (MOU) with other peak bodies including the Tianjin Transportation and Logistics Association and the TCEA (Tianjin Cross Border E-commerce Association) as well
Guangzhou Port.
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as many others where an Alliance of partners will foster the development of knowledge across borders and increase potential trade with business’ in Australia. There were meetings with the Hebei Federation of Industry and Commerce, the Tianjin Trade Promotion Council and a conference at Cangzhou Municipal Government as well as discussions held with the Guangzhou Port Authorities and the Zhanjiang Government. A comprehensive briefing pack will be available to all SCLAA members in the coming weeks. It is significant to note that China is to top 50 per cent of global GDP by 2040 and drive 40 per cent of the world’s consumption. A statistic too hard to ignore is that the Guangzhou port handles 15 million TEU’s per year as opposed to our biggest Port; Port of Melbourne that handles 2.5 million TEU’s and may reach capacity in the next 20 to 30 years. Significant development is continuing in the Guangzhou Port with an extended logistics park facility that covers over 340,000 square metres and will greatly enhance the Port’s ocean-rail transportation capability, will have a positive impact on the Port’s container throughput and will be operational by 2020. There is significant development and growth in the cruise ship industry and the ports, that will greatly enhance tourism, and will start to receive cruise ships in November
